- Date
- September 29, 2006, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ronan, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9918TMaule M-6-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060929019149A
- Case key
- 64625
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in the tailwheel-equipped aircraft. A swale (sunken area) between the runway and the taxiway was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the landing roll in the tailwheel-equipped aircraft, the pilot failed to maintain directional control, and the aircraft departed the side of the runway. After departing the runway, the aircraft rolled through a swale (sunken area) between the runway and the taxiway. As it was coming up out of the swale, the aircraft's right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage. In his written statement, the pilot said, "I should have maintained better directional control of the aircraft on the runway..." There was no indication of a flight control malfunction.
Factual narrative
During the landing roll in the tail wheel-equipped aircraft, the pilot failed to maintain directional control, and the aircraft departed the side of the runway. After departing the runway, the aircraft rolled through a swale (sunken area) between the runway and the taxiway. As it was coming up out of the swale, the aircraft's right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage. In his written statement, the pilot said, "I should have maintained better directional control of the aircraft on the runway..." There was no indication of a flight control malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9918T
- Reported as
- Maule M-6-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7491C
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-W1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randle V. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KMSO · Missoula, MT
- Destination
- 7S0 · Ronan, MT
- Airport
- 7S0 · Ronan Airport, runway 34
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 261 total · 100 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.